31 March 2008

On March 20, the American Cancer Society New England, Eastern, and Pennsylvania Divisions joined with the National Home Office’s Employer Initiative and International Affairs departments to co-host a meeting of medical and corporate leaders from American Cancer Society priority companies in New York City. The purpose of the meeting, attended by 14 chief medical officers and human resource vice presidents from 16 companies, was to discuss potential globalization of the companies’ worksite wellness programs. Participants toured the new Manhattan American Cancer Society Hope Lodge® and received an overview of local, national, and international American Cancer Society programs from Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the Society. Representatives of Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo shared their experiences with worksite wellness programs. In breakout sessions that followed those presentations, chief medical officers from various companies demonstrated their visions for global expansion of their operations and how the American Cancer Society could potentially play a pivotal role in meeting these growing multinational needs. From this meeting, the participants made plans for further collaboration on training and information sharing in the future.

Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the American Cancer Society, being interviewed by the newspaper El Universal in Mexico

Elmer E. Huerta, MD, MPH, president of the American Cancer Society, and Alessandra Durstine, director of Latin America cancer programs for the Society, visited Mexico on March 14 to raise awareness of INFOCANCER, the first ever Mexican patient navigation and information program, supported by the American Cancer Society and under the auspices of the Mexican National Cancer Institute (INCan). The program provides information to patients through a Web site, a toll-free phone number, and walk-in assistance. Since the program launched on February 4, the walk-in center has received more than 250 visitors. Dr. Huerta also attended the launch of the US-Mexican Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research and met with US first lady Laura Bush and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala. During the event, representatives of INCan and CIM*AB (the leading Mexican breast cancer nongovernmental organization (NGO) and an American Cancer Society grantee) recognized the American Cancer Society for its support of cancer NGOs and mammography programs in Mexico. The event, which drew attendance of about 600 people, received extensive coverage in the Mexican media. Dr. Huerta gave several interviews to leading Mexican radio, newspaper, and television outlets.

19 March 2008

On February 9-17, Catherine Jo, manager of the American Cancer Society’s international tobacco control program, attended negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on an historic international treaty to combat illicit trade in tobacco products. The illicit trade treaty will be supplementary to the existing World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which became international law in February 2005. The FCTC obligates the 152 countries who have ratified it to implement effective measures to reduce tobacco use, including higher tobacco taxes; strong health warnings; laws requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places; and bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. However, illicit tobacco trade undermines the effectiveness of many of these measures, especially higher tobacco taxes, and encourages smoking, especially among price-sensitive young people, by making cigarettes available cheaply. The negotiations in Geneva helped present the scope of the illicit trade problem and led to widespread agreement among the participants that a new legally binding treaty on illicit trade is needed. But participating countries will have to work out details, including how to stop smugglers from getting cigarettes and how to impose tougher sanctions against criminals. The next series of treaty negotiations will likely take place in October 2008. The treaty is expected to be adopted in 2010.

14 March 2008

An American Cancer Society University (ACSU) training session took place March 2-7 in Mexico City, Mexico, bringing together 24 scholars from 10 Latin American countries representing 19 cancer control nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This was the second ACSU training for all but three of these scholars, with the first having taken place for them in May 2007 and hosted by the American Cancer Society Florida Division. The attendance of three new scholars from Nicaragua was made possible thanks to support from the American Cancer Society High Plains Division. The training, conducted entirely in Spanish, focused on some key elements for effective patient organizations, specifically volunteerism, fundraising, and media training. The team leading the training included these talented bilingual American Cancer Society volunteers and staff: Angela Esteva, member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors; Frances Villafane, community manager of health initiatives in the High Plains Division; and Hector Martinez, manager of translations in Health Promotions at the National Home Office. The scholars had the opportunity to visit the National Cancer Institute in Mexico (INCan) to learn about the institute’s patient navigation program supported by the American Cancer Society and led by volunteers. To emphasize the importance of volunteerism in Latin America, the American Cancer Society organized a panel of Mexican volunteers involved in the fight against cancer which was attended by 13 members of the Mexican press, including broadcast and online media. This ACSU was also attended by representatives from Bristol Myers Squibb, which is generously underwriting seed grant support to ACSU scholars that will enhance innovative cancer control interventions in Latin America.

As part of the international fellowship program, the American Cancer Society Florida Division hosted two fellows from South America to participate in the Division’s Advocacy Day and learn about statewide mission delivery and cancer control programs. Jose Alberto Del Corral, general manager of the Peruvian Cancer Foundation, and Eduarda Bestetti, coordinator of ABRACCIA (Brazilian Association to Fight Child and Adult Cancer), joined Division volunteers February 14-22 to gain insight on further cancer-fighting goals and program development within their own organizations. During the Division’s Advocacy Day, the fellows had the opportunity to travel to Tallahassee with American Cancer Society volunteers and advocate for a new bill that would raise the tobacco tax by one dollar in the state of Florida. The Division put together a full agenda for the fellows that included visits to Mt. Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, visits to the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Hope Lodge® in Tampa, and participation in the Florida International University Relay For Life®. Jose Alberto Del Corral and Eduarda Bestetti are also attending the regional American Cancer Society University in Mexico City this month.

01 March 2008

The Society’s High Plains, Great West, and California Divisions sponsored an American Cancer Society University (ACSU) session in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the week of February 25, the first ACSU ever held in Vietnam. Seventeen scholars representing eight Asian countries participated in this follow-up to the ACS University held in Oakland, California during May 2007. Cancer control leaders attended from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Volunteers and staff from the three sponsoring Divisions included Tilly Gibbs and Brian Key (Great West Division); Carol Jackson, Jeff Kean, and David Veneziano (California Division); and Lila Johnson, Dr. Diệu Rick Ngo, and Jackie Young (High Plains Division). Cassandra Welch, director of international tobacco control, led scholars through exercises designed to enhance skills in tobacco control advocacy, with a focus on establishing comprehensive smoke-free workplace policies. Scholars provided progress reports in the implementation of their cancer control seed grant projects and toured the Vietnam National Cancer Institute. David Veneziano announced California Division's sponsorship of the 2008 Vietnam Cancer Control Fellowship. Local partners and hosts included Do Minh Son of the Vietnam Public Health Association, Viet Dung Nguyen of Vietnam’s National Tobacco Control Program (VINACOSH), and Dr. Thuan Van Tran of the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital and Vietnam Cancer Society.